Behind Every Lie(29)
The smile fell off Jacob’s face. “Eva, about that night, I’m really sorry.…”
“Don’t be—”
“I should’ve called sooner. I did try as soon as I got back from Peru. Did Holly tell you?”
I looked at my hands, clasped like iron around my backpack. Holly had told me every time Jacob called. Eight times before he accepted that I didn’t want to talk.
“Yeah, she did. I was so busy and …” I lifted my eyes to his. “It was just too late, Jake. You know?”
He looked at me for a long minute. “Yeah. Yeah, I know.”
An aggressive honk sounded behind us.
“I gotta go.” I shoved the door open. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Wait.” Jacob pulled a set of keys from his pocket and handed them to me. “I have a flat in London. Stay there as long as you want. I’ll text you the address.”
I lifted my eyebrows, surprised. Jacob had never wanted a house, a mortgage, even a credit card.
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know. But I’m there a lot for work, so it made sense. Just promise me two things.”
“Oka-ay.”
“Call Andrew and tell him where you’re going.”
“And two?”
“Tell the detective about that letter from your mom.”
I made a face. “All right.”
He reached across the console and hugged me. I leaned into him, catching his scent: summer grass and evergreen trees. It reminded me of childhood, of my mom, and that I was suddenly very, very alone.
I got out of the car, a peculiar tightness in my throat as I watched Jacob drive away.
I could do this on my own.
I could.
* * *
I waited by my gate for the plane to board, knees jittering, eyes sweeping the terminal. Crossing to a window overlooking the runway, I dialed Liam’s number. I felt a little guilty I hadn’t called him earlier, but there just hadn’t been time. And now the police were investigating me, questioning people I knew, impounding my car.
“Eva.” Liam sounded relieved when he answered. “I’m glad you called. I’m so sorry. I should’ve told you the detective might come by.”
“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left the way I did. I don’t know why I got so mad.”
“It’s okay. You were just struck by lightning.” I could hear the smile on his lips and a thread of yearning spiraled through me. I wanted nothing more than to go home, feel Liam’s arms around me, reassuring me that everything would be okay.
“Look, I was thinking maybe I’d postpone our appointment tomorrow,” he said. “And I’ve canceled all my meetings so I can take care of you. I know you’re under a lot of stress and your brain’s a little rattled. After we meet the detective, we can just take the day off and relax. Maybe pack a picnic and go to the beach if the weather’s nice.”
“What appointment?” I asked, confused.
“Remember, we’re meeting with Father Byrne at St. Mary’s to discuss the wedding?”
“Isn’t that next week?”
“No, tomorrow. Wednesday. Don’t you remember? It’s been in our shared calendar for over a month. And there’s a note hanging on the refrigerator.”
The raw force of something messy and unrefined frothed up inside of me: shame that I didn’t remember, and then anger, a black, rising fury, unnatural, unfamiliar. I pushed it away.
“My mom has been murdered, Liam,” I said tightly. “The police think I might have had something to do with it. And you want to talk about our wedding?”
“I just …” He paused. “I thought you might want to think about something happy too.”
A marble column of guilt landed on me. What was wrong with me?
“I’m sorry.” I felt like a broken record.
An announcement came over the airport loudspeaker.
“Where are you?”
“Babe, listen.” I told him about Mom’s letter and the torn paper with an address for David Ashford on it. “She said she wasn’t my real mother and we were in danger. It might have something to do with why she was murdered. So I’m getting a flight to London to talk to this guy.”
“This is unbelievable!”
“I know! Obviously there were a lot of things she never—”
“No, Eva, I mean, it’s unbelievable that you’re thinking about going to London in the middle of a murder investigation! Are you crazy?”
“It’s where all the pieces are! Mom’s letter said she took me to protect me, but I don’t know who or what from. Maybe David Ashford knows something.”
“Why don’t you just call him?”
“I couldn’t find his number. Besides, this way he can’t hang up. He has to talk to me.”
“Eva, if the police are suspicious of you, leaving the country is going to make you look even more guilty!”
“Then I better find the truth quick.”
“The detective is probably already monitoring our credit cards. He’ll know if you leave.”
I ran a hand over my face.
“We’ll talk to my lawyer and sort this out. I know you’re scared right now. Your memory loss, mood swings, paranoia, these are all the symptoms Dr. Simm warned us about. But I promise, everything’s going to be okay. Just wait there. I’ll come get you.”